Mind the gap
Why and how public opinion matters to the monarchy
“And remember, please mind the gap”. So ended the Coronation-special announcement recorded by The King and Queen Consort, played at every railway station across the UK and all London Underground stations last weekend.
The light-hearted message contained a serious safety instruction but also one that matters for the future of the British monarchy. The gap is in fact three gaps; three important dimensions of public opinion that contribute to the shape of the Carolean era.
The first — the growing gap between current attitudes towards the monarchy and those of the past — is a small yet significant one. While charts showing public attitudes towards the monarchy are mostly boring, presenting flatline trends, change has occurred even if subtly.
According to the long-running British Social Attitudes Survey, the public has consistently said it is important for Britain to continue to have a monarchy. The proportion of Britons considering the monarchy to be ‘very’ important has fallen from 65% in 1983 to 29% today. In 2021 (before the Queen’s passing), those who said it was either ‘not at all important’ or that it should be abolished, reached a quarter (25%) for the first time.
Ipsos recently recorded 64% favouring retention of the monarchy compared to 22% support for a Republic. These proportions were not too dissimilar to the 69%-18% in 1993 but are below the average over the intervening 30 years. And while polls show that many Britons name the Royal Family as one of the things that makes them most proud to be British, that too has diminished.
Of course, sentiment ebbs and flows, strongly related to jubilees, marriages and births, and the mishaps and mistakes of the Royals. The mid-nineties were tough, but the early 2010s extremely positive. The early months for King Charles have been good — there are no signs that he is a polarising figure, and he has possibly surprised people with his sure-footedness. Added to that, most Britons aren’t clamouring for an elected head of state.
Gap number two is generational. Younger age groups have always tended to be cooler on the Royal Family than their older peers but adopt more pro-positions as they grow older. Thus, as The Economist pointed out last year, “It is worth remembering that middle-aged and old Britons once listened to anti-royal songs by the Sex Pistols, the Smiths and the Stone Roses” but are now very supportive.
This can’t be taken for granted though. A colleague of mine wrote that the younger Royals were an asset because they connected the Monarchy with a younger generation, and they were relatively more popular among younger age groups. But that was ten years ago, and with the Prince and Princess of Wales are now in their 40s, it’s asking a lot of them to appeal to Generation Z.
The monarchy has existed in an age of deference for most of its history, but that’s long gone, and the residual benefit of the doubt seems to weaken with each passing year. The Queen’s longevity and calm continuity earnt respect and affection from pretty much everyone. But relevance and ‘brand purpose’ matter to younger generations who favour ‘show’ over ‘tell’, prioritising meritocracy and meaning.
This relates to the third gap — the cultural disconnection between the monarchy and the reality of life for most Britons today. BBC Panorama found 45% of the public and 59% of 18–24-year-olds of the view that the monarchy is out of touch with the “experiences of the British public”.
Despite a challenging economic climate, 55% disagree that the Royal Family is “an expensive luxury the country cannot afford”. But ‘privilege’ is associated with the Royal Family by four in ten Britons, 42%, although the second and third most-common views were that they are important to Britain (38%) and hard working (28%).
King Charles’ passionate championing of environmentalism could appeal, particularly to the young, but his reign will surely involve reining this in. Instead, he has handed the baton on to the Waleses to “continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given”. They top the popularity charts too.
Amplifying causes and working with, and for, their subjects is a relatively recent departure for the Monarchy. Looking back to the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, television sets and opinion polls were rare used. She learnt to use both to stay in touch and project a softer, more human image, comfortable with change.
King Charles faces an even more complicated landscape. He, and those around him, will need to mind the gap.
